Georgia

From 1 March, new rules for employing foreign nationals will begin, affecting both self-employed individuals and those on employment contracts.

New labour migration amendments set to take effect in March 2026 will significantly complicate employment for foreign nationals in Georgia.

The key change is the introduction of work permits, something that did not previously exist in Georgian legislation.

The amendments were adopted by the parliament in June 2025, but details of just how the permit system is going to work emerged in a 20 February governmental decree.

The new rules introduce additional bureaucracy, costs, and waiting periods for both employers and employees. They also grant the state considerable authority to intervene in employers’ hiring decisions, allowing it to determine — according to its own assessment — whether foreign workers are needed in specific sectors.

Under the regulations set to take effect this spring, foreign nationals who do not hold permanent residency in Georgia will be required to obtain a work permit from the Labour Ministry. Failure to do so — and working without a permit — could result in substantial fines.

The previous rules

Under the previous legislation, foreign nationals could work in Georgia with the appropriate visa or a residence permit. The rules were more lenient for citizens of countries with extended visa-free access to the country. In such cases, even holding a residence permit was not strictly mandatory, with local...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNODhMUDN5UzdMeUUwWjFHcUgt...